Are you ready for an engine failure?

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Scott

The subject of this item is engine failures, but first up – sorry for the long delay since the last post. I have been moving home and this, together with internet connection issues conspired to keep me offline for a while.

Engine failures are thankfully very rare. Which makes it all the more important to plan and prepare for what you’ll do if you experience one. It’s not just a matter of keeping an eye open for a suitable paddock or field!

AOPA has released an excellent video covering the topic – ‘From Trouble to Touchdown‘ – which you can watch by clicking on the picture above. This is an excellent 10-minute summary of what is a complex subject, handling everything from pre-flight inspections to minimise the chance of a failure, through engine failures on take-off, to tips for making it safely on to the ground.

Here’s what I personally noted after watching the video:
– above all else, fly the plane!
– know your glide times and distances from different heights
– try restarts by checking fuel, air and ignition
– make sure the throttle is closed before landing to stop sudden unexpected power surges
– don’t try to ‘stretch’ the glide or you’ll probably stall
– try to put something soft between you and the instrument panel before landing
– don’t change fuel tanks after the engine run up, and
– last but not least, prepare for the ‘impossible turn’ back to the runway: know your minimum heights at different take-off weights and density altitudes

As a guide, when considering a turn back in the A22LS Foxbat or A32 Vixxen, never try it below 500 feet above ground level – more if the temperature and density altitude are high. If you’re light and cool, you might just make it below that altitude but it’s a much better bet to land ahead 30 degrees either side of the centre line if you’re below 500 feet when the engine stops.

To conclude; I have only experienced one engine failure in my flying life and that was many years ago in my very first (kit-built) long-wing Foxbat at a regional Queensland airfield. The engine stopped after take-off at about 400 feet above the ground. I had a passenger with me, who was videoing his flight. I remember the engine winding down and the prop stopping with one vertical blade clearly visible in front of me; the engine had seized. There wasn’t much to go for ahead of me, mainly trees and the outskirts of the local town, so I opted for a turn back. The original long-winged A22 has a prodigious glide capability, so as I began the turn I called an emergency on the airfield frequency. I kept the turn at about 30-40 degrees and 55 knots and the aircraft landed beautifully and rolled to a stop at almost exactly the same spot from which I’d just started my take-off. An oil line had separated from the cooler and the engine had neatly pumped all the oil into the reservoir, which was strange, because I’d flown about 90 minutes from my home base to get there earlier in the day. The engine had to be completely re-built and as far as I know, is still flying to this day.

So, be prepared! An engine failure probably won’t happen but have your plans clear in case it does.

More on wake turbulence

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Scott

A short while ago, I published an item about the disastrous effects of taking off too soon behind a heavier aircraft – ‘The dangers of wake turbulence‘

In that article, the advice was simple – bide your time and wait at least 2 minutes before taking off after a heavier aircraft. But here’s a bit more detailed advice from CFI Bob Nardiello, who has over 12,000 hours of flight experience (including 8,000+ hours of instruction). Bob was 2004 Flight Instructor of the Year and 2006 FAA Safety Counselor of the Year.

His advice on wake turbulence take-offs:

“Vortices tend to move outward from the aircraft. So if you are behind a departing aircraft, the vortex from the right wing will tend to move to the right and the vortex from the left wing will tend to move to the left – in nil wind conditions.

If there is a crosswind, the wind will influence the movement of the vortices. A crosswind of about 3 knots will hold the upwind vortex pretty much in place on the runway where it was created, while the downwind vortex will move rapidly away from the runway.

Crosswinds greater than about 5 knots will tend to break up the vortices fairly quickly. So stronger crosswinds are good things, as far as vortices are concerned – we want the vortices to break up and decay as soon as possible. So light crosswinds around 3 knots and under require maximum caution.

We also need to note the lift-off point of the previous aircraft. That point is where the vortices will be developed. From that point on, there will be vortices off the wings of that departing aircraft. So it’s important that your take-off point occurs before the take-off point of the preceding aircraft. You DO NOT want to be taking off into the vortices of the preceding aircraft!

You need to climb on the upwind side of the departing aircraft to avoid the crosswind effect of the vortices. So if the crosswind will move the vortices to the left, your departure path should be to the right to avoid those vortices.”

So next time you’re taking off behind another aircraft, particularly a heavier one:
– WAIT!
– lift off well before the take-off point of the preceding aircraft; if you can’t be sure to do this, WAIT!
– when you do take-off try to track to the upwind side of the earlier aircraft’s track.

Safe flying!

Information courtesy of Pilot Workshops

178 seconds

Posted on February 21, 2016 by Scott

VFR into IMC ‘178 Seconds to Live‘ is the title of several videos and written articles about flying from visual flight into Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC). So it goes: if you’re a VFR (or lapsed IFR) pilot, the chances are very high that you’ll be dead through disorientation within 3 minutes of entering cloud/mist/drizzle/snow etc – particularly if it happens suddenly and unexpectedly.

Spatial disorientation in an aeroplane is a scary thing and I was shown at a very early stage of my flying life that I should never fly by the seat of my pants – something most pilots will instinctively try to do if they lose all their external visual clues, like sight of the ground and the horizon.

My very first flying instructor (all those years ago) was one Mr. Beadle. As his name suggests, Mr. Beadle was not to be taken lightly and he did not suffer fools gladly. Early in our flight training, my fellow cadets and I were briefed that this was to be a day of experiencing ‘unusual flying attitudes’. I duly waited my turn and took off with Mr. Beadle and climbed to a hitherto unexperienced 5,000 feet. Even though I’d done my first solo, this was the first time we’d flown so high and I was about to find out why.

“Cover your eyes and take your hands and feet off the controls”, instructed Mr. B. Dutifully I did so. He told me he was going to fly the aircraft through a series of ‘unusual manoeuvres’ and, when instructed, I had to tell him quickly the aircraft’s attitude – without uncovering my eyes. Here goes. I felt the aircraft start to climb and bank to the left – “Correct” he says, nose high and turning to port (this was a Royal Navy instructor). Next, wings banked right and nose going down. Once again, “Correct” he says. I was getting the hang of this ‘unusual attitudes’ stuff, I thought. Third one; a bit more difficult this time. It felt like the aircraft had decelerated gently, then banked to the right. “Wrong!” says Mr B. “Open your eyes”. I’ll never forget what I saw: the aircraft was almost upside down – quite a feat in a Piper Colt – with the ground rotating increasingly quickly through the top left side of the windshield. In effect we were in a very steep spiral dive to the left.

Although we did quite a few more ‘manoeuvres’, some of which I got right and quite a few wrong, I remember that first one vividly, even to this day. “In an aeroplane” said Mr. Beadle after we landed, “never, ever believe your bum. Believe the instruments”. He cracked a rare smile and left me entering the day’s lesson in my logbook.

Nowadays, I’m lucky enough to fly quite a lot, what with selling aeroplanes and all that. But as a strictly VFR pilot, one thing I really do avoid is flying when I can’t see the ground or a clear horizon – and certainly not if I’m likely to be missing both at the same time. Nevertheless, I’ve had some interesting (and worrying) conversations with recreational and light sport pilots about flying in marginal visual conditions. For example, a common reason given for installing an autopilot in a light sport aircraft is that such a device will ‘get a VFR pilot down through the cloud’ if s/he should end up above it with no holes through which to descend.

Personally, I have a theory that if you think like this, you’re more likely to behave as though the autopilot is a safety net. As a result, you’re more likely to take weather chances than if you have no ‘safety net’ autopilot. If you have no autopilot, I’m pretty sure you won’t be thinking about coming down through cloud, so you’ll check and watch the weather very carefully and stay on the ground if there’s any doubt about visibility.

And there are a couple of other flaws in the ‘get you down through cloud’ autopilot theory. First – how do you know the cloud doesn’t go right down to the ground? And second, LSA autopilots are uncertified pieces of electronic equipment – how many times does your computer/’smart’ phone/tablet freeze or go wrong? Are the electronics in the A/P really completely bulletproof….with all that engine vibration and buffeting turbulence?

As they are so light, LSA planes are not the ideal platform for autopilots but I can understand how they reduce fatigue when flying longer distances in clear air – so I have no problem there. But don’t have one if you ave any thoughts at all about using it to descend through cloud, unless you are a properly qualified and current IFR pilot.

Here are some key lessons for VFR pilots:
– get some basic instrument flying training, you never know when it might help save your life
– golden rule 1: do not fly into cloud!
– if you do enter cloud unexpectedly, golden rule 2: do not panic!
– keep straight & level as best you can
– as soon as possible, start a gentle 180 degree turn (less than 30 degrees of bank) to the left – that way, if there’s any ground to see, it will be on your side
– watch your artificial horizon and believe it
– watch your turn & bank indicator and believe it
– without an AH or T&B it’s difficult, but pull back the power slightly and watch your compass, VSI and ASI
– keep the compass turning slowly or stop it by decreasing the turn with opposite control
– when the compass is stable, keep the VSI neutral with elevator
– when straight & level, control speed with throttle
– believe the instruments not your body!
– with luck, you’ll exit the cloud as quickly as you entered it
– if not, you’ve probably used up a fair slice of your 178 seconds.

You have been warned.

Here’s another link to a video, made by an experienced VFR pilot who flew into IMC: Flying VFR into IMC – a top killer of pilots – my close call

Superstol take-off

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Scott

Just Aircraft has recently installed a Titan XO-340 180-hp engine in their Super STOL (Short Take-Off & Landing) aircraft. The take-off results are spectacular – watch the on-board video clip and you’ll se what I mean! Remember – this is not a view from a helicopter, although it might ‘just’ as well be! Not only is the take-off distance short but the aircraft keeps on climbing.

Just Aircraft is not the first company to use this engine in an aircraft – Cubcrafters also use the Titan in their LSA-compliant Carbon Cub. But the Cub is a bigger, slightly heavier aircraft and does not utilise the retractable leading edge slats of the Superstol, so the Carbon Cub take-off, while still sensational is not quite in the same league.

There is a comparative video of the Carbon Cub and Superstol, although in this one, the Superstol uses a Rotax 115-hp turbo engine, not the Titan. As you can see, the two aircraft are very similar in performance, even though the Superstol is giving away 65-hp. I imagine the 180-hp Superstol would be quite a ride!

A few other key differences between the Carbon Cub and Superstol: tandem vs side-by-side seating, factory-built vs kit-built and, of course, price. However, another price you pay for such spectacularly short take-offs and landings is a relatively slow cruise speed. There’s no such thing as a free lunch!

How well do you brief your passenger(s) before flight?

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Scott

Passenger brief Accidents in Light Sport Aircraft are a relatively rare occurrence. As a result, pilots can be lulled into thinking that the pre-flight passenger safety briefing is a bit of a chore and perhaps not really essential. However, accidents do happen and sometimes a little information for your passenger(s) can make a big difference to their and possibly your own survival.

Do you know?
– the only mandated part of the passenger safety briefing in light aircraft concerns the use of the safety belts
– it is not mandatory to carry a suitable fire extinguisher in the aircraft
– most pilots do not carry an emergency survival kit unless they plan to fly long distance, yet most accidents happen relatively close to home
– the emergency frequency on the VHF radio

Does your passenger know?
– how to stop the door jamming shut during a rough (crash) landing
– how to call for help on the aircraft radio or sat-phone
– how to activate an ELT/PLB emergency beacon

In summary, before flight make sure to tell your passenger(s):
– how to use their safety belt correctly
– how to open and close the aircraft doors
– where the emergency beacon(s) is/are located and how to activate it/them
– where the back-up handheld VHF radio is located and how to use it
– how to call for help on the emergency VHF frequency
– where the emergency survival kit is located and what it contains
– how to switch off the aircraft electrical system
– to stay with the aircraft after an accident, unless they can clearly see habitation or a road

The length of the briefing will be determined by your passenger(s) – a first-time passenger may need a little more time than a seasoned flyer. Whatever, the briefing shouldn’t need more than 2-3 minutes.

As a final thought – it’s sometimes difficult for a passenger to recall every aspect of your pre-flight briefing, so have you considered making up a passenger safety briefing card? It can repeat your verbal briefing and give more information on specific aspects – eg how to change frequency on the VHF radio(s) and how to activate the emergency beacon. AOPA – Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association – has released an example of a customisable passenger briefing card, which covers emergency equipment and rescue. You can print this out and adapt it for your own needs.

Finally, to help you with some more insights into passenger briefings, AOPA has also released an excellent video on passenger safety, with a focus on the pre-flight briefing.

Remember – unlikely as it may be, you may be incapacitated yourself and a well-briefed passenger may save your life!

Aeroprakt A22LS Foxbat – nice decal job!

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Scott

A new A22LS Foxbat owner – Peter Mulder from Queensland – recently saw a photo on the Foxbat website of some decals on a Foxbat and decided he’d like something similar on his own aircraft.

The original aircraft he saw belongs to Andrew Wood, based in South Australia – his Foxbat is yellow, with red, silver and black ‘stripes’, which I’m sure you’ll agree, looks very handsome. (click the photo for a bigger version)

Peter’s aircraft is white and has no wheel spats. However, he contacted Andrew, who contacted his decal designer/maker who agreed to make a set of decals for Peter. These were sent to me to arrange for them to be professionally applied before the aircraft was collected for its flight home to Queensland.

As you can see, Peter kept the same design but decided to change the colours and the end result is, I think, a great looking Foxbat. (click the photo for a bigger version)

Decals are a relatively inexpensive and effective way of turning your aircraft into a potentially unique machine. However, beware – if you own a composite aircraft, check with the manufacturer before applying different coloured decals, particularly on structural surfaces. In direct sunlight, the temperature differential between dark and light coloured surfaces can quickly exceed the composite material limits and lead to hidden heat fractures which could have disastrous repercussions. That’s why you see so few composite aircraft painted in striking designs and colours. Even Cirrus has strict limits on what designs can be applied to their aircraft! Thankfully, metal airframes allow a much wider use of colours and decals.

There is a variety of other designs which have been applied to Foxbats – have a look at our Flickr photo galleries here: A22LS Foxbat and here: Brazilian Foxbats and scroll down to see some of them.

If you are interested in a set of decals for your A22 – in your own preferred colours – please contact me and I’ll put you in touch with the manufacturer.

Aeroprakt A32 – pre-delivery flight check

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Scott

I thought it may be informative to give owners, prospective owners and admirers of Aeroprakt aircraft some idea of the checks the aircraft go through before final release to the customer. So with the help of Mike Rudd and his video equipment, we took one of the latest A32 Vixxen aircraft for a check flight, prior to ferrying it to its new owner, Brian Gerhardy, in South Australia.

In fact, it is a requirement under current light sport aircraft regulations for all such aircraft to be flight tested prior to release by the manufacturer. It is also a requirement for them to be re-tested after shipping should any of the major components (eg wings, tail, controls etc) be removed or disconnected for transportation. In reality, almost all imported LSA aircraft are containerised into Australia, so, although Aeroprakt aircraft are flight tested before shipping, we also have to check them again after re-assembly and before release to owners in Australia.

Not shown in the video is a preliminary series of 6-7 circuits (‘patterns’ to our USA colleagues) which were flown with and without flap to ensure aileron & elevator trims were correctly set and that all the controls functioned correctly. For this aircraft, these were all flown at Moorabbin Airport, where the aircraft was re-assembled after shipping. It was then taken to Tyabb Airport for the main test, where there are fewer airspace restrictions (height limit over Tyabb is 8,500 feet) and air traffic is much less frenetic!

While carrying out these mandatory flight tests, I use a checklist to ensure I cover all the key items. Mike mentioned he thought this may be a useful checklist which all owners could use as a basis for a test flight after every 100-hourly/annual inspection. Please let me know if you’re interested and I’ll post a short item about it.

As usual, either click the photo above of this link to take you to the YouTube video: Aeroprakt a32 Vixxen pre-delivery flight check

View full-screen in hi-res if you can, as you’ll find the instruments easier to read.

It’s a green machine!

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Scott

As mentioned in a recent post, the first two customer A32 Vixxen aircraft have arrived in Australia. One of them is a magnificent metallic green colour – Mazda Spirited Green Metallic to be specific. You may have seen Mazda 2 cars in this colour, which is only one of a series of bright metallic paint options they offer.

This is not a colour I would have thought of myself but I must say, it really grows on me! It seems to change hue in different weathers and looks quite different in morning and evening light. The engineers affectionately referred to it as ‘Kermit’ but I think the colour is too classy for a puppet frog!

Within a couple of weeks, residents of southern South Australia may spot the aircraft flying round and about. The new owner is also planning to take it away on a few trips with his partner – as a previous A22 Foxbat owner, he’s always wanted a little more cruise speed for longer distances. That extra 20+ knots should make all the difference.

Hopefully, the weather will be right for a full pre-delivery test flight in the next day or two – watch this space for more!

Stop press! Here’s a link to a couple of good quality photos of the green machine, courtesy Mike Rudd: green Aeroprakt A32

AoAs – really necessary?

Posted on January 24, 2016 by Scott

Spot the AoA – what’s this one telling you?

All pilots have heard the saying: ‘Airspeed equals life’ and also know that stalling the wing at low level will almost certainly lead to dire consequences, particularly if that happens during the turn onto final approach before landing. In fact, stalling at low level is one of the most common causes of injury and death in light aircraft accidents.

In the past, stall warners have sometimes been fitted to light aircraft to help pilots avoid stalls. Recently, angle of attack (AoA) indicators/meters (which can also give warning of a potential stall) have become all the rage, particularly with the increasing installation of flat panel digital screens, which often have a facility to add this particular readout. I am asked more and more by customers about fitting them to Light Sport Aircraft, including the Foxbat and Vixxen.

Put simply – if all small GA aircraft were fitted with AoA indicators, would this reduce the rate of accidents? After all, military and civil jet pilots in particular seem to be amazed that we in light aircraft are still flying about without AoA indicators.

But what is an AoA?
An AoA indicator system basically measures and shows you the angle the wing is making with the relative direction of the air flowing over it. Amongst other information, high angle of attack = more likely to stall, low angle = less likely. AoAs display information in a variety of (non-standard) ways, which are usually simplified into a green (OK) sector, a yellow (watch out!) sector and a red (ACT NOW!) sector. But what indications require which actions?

Is an AoA really any use in a light sport aircraft?
If you are flying high-G aerobatics or an airliner in the very thin air at FL40, then an AoA is an essential piece of kit. Such pilots have been trained to read, understand and how to act on AoA information. However, at light sport aircraft speeds and heights, an AoA doesn’t really give you any more information than an airspeed indicator. Or a stall warner. It is also strongly arguable that the light sport pilot’s eyes should be focussed outside the cockpit, not peering at an AoA to work out if they are in danger of stalling. As one expert has put it: “For the number of hours typically flown annually by light sport pilots, stick and rudder skills are far more important than learning to interpret and act on AoA readouts”. Like everything else in life – unless you really understand and regularly practice using something, the chances are you won’t use it after a while…

Of course, those marketing AoA systems will try to convince you otherwise. But the reality is that for all practical purposes, in an LSA an AoA indicator tells you no more than the ASI. Spend your money on stall-spin awareness training and it will do you a lot more good.

Foxbat safety

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Scott

Soar Aviation – a major operator of A22LS Foxbat aircraft at Moorabbin Airport (Melbourne) and Bankstown Airport (Sydney) – place pilot & passenger safety at the top of their priorities. Recently, they approached me to write a short piece for them on what aspects I felt made the Foxbat a safe aircraft to fly.

Here’s a link to the article on their own blog – Safety in a Foxbat

Happy reading!

Foxbat Pilot

All things Aviation for Foxbat Flyers

Category Archives: Light Sport Aircraft (LSA)